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Maitre Michel Alaux (1924 – December 30, 1974) was a French-American fencing master who co-coached the United States Olympic fencing teams in 1964, 1968, and 1972. [1] Internationally recognized for his achievements in the sport and a regular contributor to fencing publications, [2] he has been credited with developing a holistic approach to fencing that helped to bridge the gap between classical schools and the modern Olympic fencing style as it is known today. [3]
Michel Alaux graduated from the military college, Fort Carré d'Antibes, [2] [4] [5] in 1947 and established himself in his club, L'Association Jean Louis in Montpellier, France. There, he trained a number of foil and épée champions, [6] the most well-known being Christian D'Oriola, [7] named Fencer of the 20th Century by the FIE, International Fencing Federation. [8]
At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Christian d'Oriola won two Gold medals for individual and team foil, winning all ten bouts in the team events. [2] The French national press, Le Monde and Le Figaro, congratulated Maitre Alaux. [9] [10]
Michel Alaux was awarded two Medals of Honor [11] by the French Government's Ministry of Sports in recognition of his contribution to fencing: Bronze, in 1949, for the World Championships, followed by Gold, in 1952, for the Helsinki Olympics. [2] [12]
In 1956, Michel Alaux was invited to the US by the NY Fencers Club. He served three times as US Fencing Olympic coach: 1964 Summer Olympics, Tokyo; 1968 Summer Olympics, Mexico City; 1972 Summer Olympics, Munich; and several times US Nationals, Pan American, and World Championship coach. [13] He remained head fencing master [12] of the NY Fencers Club [14] until his death in 1974, at the age of fifty.
In the course of his US fencing career, Michel Alaux played a key role in developing American fencing official standards and professional requirements. [3] He chaired the 1962–63 U.S. Committee which developed A Text for Defining Fencing Terms. [2] He chaired and directed the committee which devised the official examination for the first professional diploma of Fencing Master in the US (1965). [15]
Seen as a glamorous figure by the media, [16] he served as a fencing consultant to TV, newspapers & magazines. [2]
For his contributions to sports education and culture, he was inducted into l' Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 1962.
He was a contributor to US, UK, and French fencing journals. [17] He is the author of Modern Fencing ( Charles Scribner's Sons New York. 1975. ISBN 0684141167).
Following his death in 1974, twelve annual US Grand Open competitions (1975–1987) were named after him: The Michel Alaux Grand Open was a three-day international event "considered essentially the same as the Nationals". [18] He was inducted into the US Fencing Hall of Fame in 2006. [19]
Michel Alaux, coach of the New York Fencers Club and co-coach of the United States Olympic fencing teams in 1964, 1968 and 1972, died of cancer yesterday in Long Island Jewish Hospital.
![]() | This article contains wording that
promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. (December 2021) |
![]() | This article may be written from a
fan's point of view, rather than a
neutral point of view. (December 2021) |
Maitre Michel Alaux (1924 – December 30, 1974) was a French-American fencing master who co-coached the United States Olympic fencing teams in 1964, 1968, and 1972. [1] Internationally recognized for his achievements in the sport and a regular contributor to fencing publications, [2] he has been credited with developing a holistic approach to fencing that helped to bridge the gap between classical schools and the modern Olympic fencing style as it is known today. [3]
Michel Alaux graduated from the military college, Fort Carré d'Antibes, [2] [4] [5] in 1947 and established himself in his club, L'Association Jean Louis in Montpellier, France. There, he trained a number of foil and épée champions, [6] the most well-known being Christian D'Oriola, [7] named Fencer of the 20th Century by the FIE, International Fencing Federation. [8]
At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Christian d'Oriola won two Gold medals for individual and team foil, winning all ten bouts in the team events. [2] The French national press, Le Monde and Le Figaro, congratulated Maitre Alaux. [9] [10]
Michel Alaux was awarded two Medals of Honor [11] by the French Government's Ministry of Sports in recognition of his contribution to fencing: Bronze, in 1949, for the World Championships, followed by Gold, in 1952, for the Helsinki Olympics. [2] [12]
In 1956, Michel Alaux was invited to the US by the NY Fencers Club. He served three times as US Fencing Olympic coach: 1964 Summer Olympics, Tokyo; 1968 Summer Olympics, Mexico City; 1972 Summer Olympics, Munich; and several times US Nationals, Pan American, and World Championship coach. [13] He remained head fencing master [12] of the NY Fencers Club [14] until his death in 1974, at the age of fifty.
In the course of his US fencing career, Michel Alaux played a key role in developing American fencing official standards and professional requirements. [3] He chaired the 1962–63 U.S. Committee which developed A Text for Defining Fencing Terms. [2] He chaired and directed the committee which devised the official examination for the first professional diploma of Fencing Master in the US (1965). [15]
Seen as a glamorous figure by the media, [16] he served as a fencing consultant to TV, newspapers & magazines. [2]
For his contributions to sports education and culture, he was inducted into l' Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 1962.
He was a contributor to US, UK, and French fencing journals. [17] He is the author of Modern Fencing ( Charles Scribner's Sons New York. 1975. ISBN 0684141167).
Following his death in 1974, twelve annual US Grand Open competitions (1975–1987) were named after him: The Michel Alaux Grand Open was a three-day international event "considered essentially the same as the Nationals". [18] He was inducted into the US Fencing Hall of Fame in 2006. [19]
Michel Alaux, coach of the New York Fencers Club and co-coach of the United States Olympic fencing teams in 1964, 1968 and 1972, died of cancer yesterday in Long Island Jewish Hospital.